Stardate 20021128.0841

(On Screen): It was said one time that the Palestinians "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity". It also seems that they never miss an opportunity to screw themselves over.

When Prime Minister Barak held his hand out and made a far more generous offer to the Palestinians than any Israeli leader before or since, the Palestinians responded with the Intifada, and as a result Barak was knocked out of office and since then they've been dealing with Likud, mostly with Ariel Sharon.

Now Likud is trying to select a new party leader (which is to say, the next PM) and in a masterpiece of ill-timing, there's been several major attacks all at once. A hotel in Kenya favored by vacationing Israelis was bombed, and someone in Kenya fired a missile at an Israeli passenger jet (and missed). In Israel itself there was another attack.

And all of this while the members of Likud are trying to decide whether they want to be led by Sharon or by Netanyahu. Going into the process, Sharon was heavily favored, but the Palestinians seem to be doing everything in their power to ensure a Netanyahu victory, and if they get it they'll have no one to blame but themselves.

But, then, they've been digging their own grave for a very long time now, passing by every possible chance for improving their situation, and responding to any sign of daylight by ever more frenzied digging. I long since lost any sympathy for them.

They're victims, but they're primarily victims of their own obstinacy, and the corruption and brutality and sheer stupidity of their own leaders. It would be ironic indeed if the turning point for the Palestinians was indeed election of Netanyahu as Prime Minister, since he says he wants to deport Arafat. In many ways, that would be one of the best things that could ever happen to the Palestinians.